A RETIRED GCHQ IT specialist has been banned from the roads after crashing his Caterham sports car while over the limit.

John Christopher Michael Askew admitted one count of drink driving when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford.

Police had been called to the crash on the B4222 at Aston Ingham on September 13, prosecutor Mark Hambling said.

They spoke to Askew, who admitted he had been driving and that no-one else had been in the Caterham Roadsport car, and he was arrested after failing a roadside breath test.

An evidential breath test in custody revealed he had 56 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

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Philip Cornell, for Askew, said the 65-year-old, who retired in January, had provided a letter to the magistrates setting out his mitigation.

"He has worked all his life, for the last seven years at GCHQ," Mr Cornell said.

"He had been working from home during Covid and that is where the alcohol came in. He has taken steps and used his savings to go to rehab and this was a lapse.

"Hopefully this will be the end of it. He is an IT specialist, and bearing in mind where he lives, disqualification will be a significant punishment in itself."

Askew, who is of Aston Ingham, Ross-on-Wye, was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £276. He must also pay costs of £135 and a £110 victim surcharge.

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